Chinese Think Tank: “Conflict With Japan Inevitable”

Shinzo Abe’s re-election on the basis of his monetary policy aggression plans have sent the JPY reeling (as he hoped for) and the NKY soaring – but it is his more aggressive perspective on patriotism that could lead to far greater problems. As the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently noted,all eyes are fixed on Abe as “Japan’s nationalization of the Diaoyu Islands destroyed the framework for keeping a balance, which means ‘shelving a conflict’,” a Chinese diplomatic source said, adding that “China has no political methods to return the situation to the (pre-nationalization) state. Therefore, there are no other ways except for looking for a new framework.” As a precondition for establishing the framework, an executive of the think tank said, “Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should not take actions that heighten the tensions further. It is the same as a game of go. If Japan escalates the conflict, China will be prepared to respond to the move.” As a result, Japan-China relations will enter into a highly volatile period, ruining any hope of a resurgence in Japan’s real economy, and more worryingly, the think-tank concludes, China’s conflict with Japan is inevitable.